Celebrate Lit Presents: Trail of Secrets Author: Lacy Williams

 

About the Book

Book: Trail of Secrets

Author: Lacy Williams

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 16, 2023

Stella is the oldest of three sisters and she’s got a long history of being the one to protect and provide for her family. When a dangerous threat sent the Fairfax sisters on a wagon train journey west, Stella knew her best bet was to disguise herself as a man to keep herself and her sisters safe.

Collin Mason has secrets of his own. And his family isn’t short on drama either, not with his troublemaking twin and an older brother about to get hitched. But he’s the only one who sees the real Stella—and that she needs help.

Collin sees the vulnerability Stella tries so hard to hide. When he becomes the only one she can trust and she discovers that danger has followed her family, Stella must rely on him despite her reluctance…

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lacy Williams wishes her writing career was more like what you see in Hallmark movies: dreamy brainstorming from a French chateau or a few minutes at the computer in a million-dollar New York City penthouse. In reality, she’s up before the sun, putting words on the page before her kids wake up for the day. Those early-morning and late-night writing sessions add up, and Lacy has published sixty books in a decade, first with a big five publisher and then as an indie author. When she needs to refill the well, you can find Lacy birdwatching, gardening, biking with the kiddos, or walking the dog. Find tons of bonus scenes and reader extras by becoming a VIP reader at www.lacywilliams.net/vip .

 

More from Lacy

Exploring birth order in fictional characters

 

Are you a firstborn? Middle child? Baby of the family? I’m not versed in all the psychology or science of birth order but I can tell you that I knew my second-born had a different personality from my first-born within a few hours of his birth.

 

I am two years older than my brother and four years older than my sister. We’re all three different. I get along with my siblings in different ways. We enjoy doing different activities together.

 

I love reading books with strong sibling ties. And in my books, I often like to explore the relationships between siblings. I like to play with the dynamics between brothers or have squabbling sisters (that truly love each other, deep down). And my new book TRAIL OF SECRETS is no different!

 

Heroine Stella is an oldest child. When her father died, she took responsibility for her two sisters. She kept the family together (even in an unconventional way) and she’s going to get the three of them to Oregon. No matter what.

 

Hero Collin is a middle child and a twin. He’s a peacemaker and a protector. And he drives Stella a little bit crazy with his ability to always look on the bright side. Their personalities clash but only in the best way.

 

After a tornado ravages the wagon train, Collin and Stella have to work together to survive and rescue family members. Can their differences be strengths when they partner up?

 

-Lacy

Blogs Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 19

Texas Book-aholic, March 20

Karen Baney Reviews, March 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 22 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 23

Vicky Sluiter, March 24

Blogging With Carol, March 25

Simple Harvest Reads, March 26 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Splashes of Joy, March 27

For Him and My Family, March 27

Cover Lover Book Review, March 28

lakesidelivingsite, March 29

Connie’s History Classroom, March 30

Pause for Tales, March 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 1

Holly’s Book Corner, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lacy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/255bc/trail-of-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Presents: Enhanced Author: Candace Kade

 

About the Book

Book: Enhanced

Author: Candace Kade

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Release date: March 14, 2023

Lee Urban is living a lie.

In a society where everyone’s DNA determines their destiny, being a Natural means automatic relegation to the gritty and dangerous Outskirts. With the harnessed power of gene-editing, the ability to create a super-human race has transformed the world and offered the opportunity of a genetically enhanced life. But only to those who can afford it.

Born a Natural, Lee Urban was adopted into the Enhanced high society of the Asian Federation and forced to conceal her genetic roots. When her dream of attending Peking University becomes a reality, she is determined to go despite a warning from a mysterious source.

Targeted by a hacker bent on exposing her true DNA, Urban faces off with an Artificial Intelligence Game that puts her—and her lies—to the test. What was supposed to be a dream come true turns into a lethal gamble of hide-and-seek with her genetics. Can Urban continue the act, or will the cracks in her story expose her and endanger her family?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Candace Kade grew up in China and currently lives in Austin, Texas. When she’s not missing Chinese food, she’s busy writing, exploring new countries, volunteering, hiking in national parks, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping a baby human alive.

 

More from Candace

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong?

It could be something as small as showing up at a party alone to something bigger like moving to a new city.

In ENHANCED, Urban also feels like she doesn’t belong. In New Beijing in the year 2124, everyone has amazing genetic enhancements given to them through CRISPR gene-editing technology.

Everyone, except Urban.

New Beijing is full of humans with breath-taking DNA. Inceptors with brain enhancements allowing them to read micro facial expressions, Supers who can withstand hard hits and extreme temperatures, Aquas able to breathe underwater, and more. There are eight main gene pools, and Urban doesn’t belong in any of them.

Instead, Urban’s born a Natural, without genetic enhancements, and secretly adopted into New Beijing. She’s forced to hide her genetic roots to protect her family, and pretends to be something she’s not—enhanced.

Urban’s story is personal to me.

As a Third Culture Kid, I’ve spent most of my life straddling two worlds and, trying to fit into places I felt I didn’t belong. At the age of four, my family moved from Ohio to China. I spent my childhood as the only foreign kid at my Chinese schools, neighborhood, and sports teams.

Since then, I’ve often returned to China. I was actually living and working there while writing ENHANCED.

Despite the frequent trips, I didn’t feel “American enough” or “Chinese enough” growing up. Maybe it’s because I botched most American sayings. Maybe it’s because no matter how good my Mandarin was, people looked at my white skin and assumed I didn’t belong in China.

It’s taken me years to come to peace with this.

Urban struggles with something similar. She must balance the Enhanced and Natural worlds all while trying to keep her web of lies from tangling and tripping her up. Which, of course, gets harder when she’s selected as the next AI Games contestant.

When I wrote this book, I was living in Beijing and going through one of the hardest seasons in my life. I had never felt so lonely. There was a song that brought me great comfort during this time. The chorus goes:

“God only knows what you’ve been through,

God only knows what they say about you,

God only knows the real you,

There’s a kind of love that God only knows.”

-For King and Country.

I played that song on repeat while writing Enhanced. It reminded me that God sees us and knows us intimately. With him, we are never truly alone.

I wrote this book for anyone who feels like they slip between the cracks of society—like they don’t belong. My hope is that you feel seen and understood.

You’re not alone.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 31

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 1

Texas Book-aholic, April 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 3

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 6

Inklings and Notions, April 7

Blogging With Carol, April 8

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 9

Simple Harvest Reads, April 10 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, April 11

Mary Hake, April 11

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 12

Through the Fire Blogs, April 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize package of a hardback of ENHANCED, $50 Amazon gift card, $10 Starbucks gift card, and a signed bookplate!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/25259/enhanced-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Presents: The Smell of Spring Author: Mary Hake

 

About the Book

Book: The Smell of Spring

Author: Mary Hake

Illustrator: Marina

Genre: Picture Book

Release date: December 15, 2022

In The Smell of Spring, April, a blind girl, enjoys the world around her and discovers spring scents. Join April and her menagerie of pets in their springtime adventures. The Smell of Spring shows children how we experience the world around us through the sense of smell. Kids will enjoy her many interesting pets and can have fun with the activities at the end using the sense of smell.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mary Ann Hake has loved learning and writing for as long as she can remember. She has been scribbling stories and poems since she first learned to write and has published hundreds of stories, articles, poems, puzzles, devotions, and more for both children and adults plus written hundreds of book reviews. She loved working in a bookstore and as a librarian and enjoyed reading to children at story times and conducting summer reading programs. She has also taught writing to children and at writers’ conferences. In addition to writing, she continues to work as a freelance editor. Visit her website, www.maryannhake.com, and subscribe to her newsletter for activities for children and updates on future books. Also find her on Facebook at Mary A. Hake author, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057370041720.

 

More from Mary Ann

I have always loved books and reading, and even as an adult I still enjoy picture books. I had tried writing my own in the past, but The Smell of Spring is the first picture book I have published. The online classes I took during the pandemic and all the years of writers’ conferences, particularly Oregon Christian Writers conferences, have helped me learn and polish my craft. I have published hundreds of pieces, for both children and adults, in a variety of periodicals and a dozen compilation books plus some curricula.

 

I chose to present this concept book in rhyme because it came out more appealing and fun for kids than straight prose. The Smell of Spring shows how a blind girl uses her sense of smell to experience life around her. Along with her menagerie of pets, April explores her world. The story includes elements that would make it a handy companion text for connection to science: senses, the weather, nature, animals—domestic and wild, flowers and trees, and food. It also models responsibility as April cares for the animals. The Smell of Spring is the first book in the four-book series of Smells of the Seasons.

 

Readers of all ages are enjoying this fresh look at springtime.

Comments from early readers:

“In sweet, simple prose, with lovely illustrations, this book shows a child how they can appreciate their sense of smell.”

“A delightfully whimsical book that invites children to become mindfully aware of the many smells, both pleasant and unpleasant, that accompany the spring season.”

“A charming way to encounter the season for all children.”
“This was a very delightful book! I loved all the places she found smells in. I also loved how you made the book rhyme. It flowed very smoothly.”
“So well done, from the rhyme to the message.”

“Mary Hake gives the reader insights into what the world is like to a blind girl, who perceives the world through other senses besides sight. The focus on smell may encourage young listeners/readers to pay closer attention to the smells they like or dislike and to be more aware of different aspects of their world. It may also make them more understanding of children with disabilities.”

“Teachers, parents, and children will appreciate the activities at the end of this book.”

“The whole book is full of delightful images and easy-to-read phrases that describe all the many smells. Including some fun relatable parts. I think children will get a kick out of a few of the smells.”

 

Sign up for updates on my website, https://maryannhake.com/, and received a PDF of activities for children using the sense of smell. Further fun things will be coming in the future.

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 24

Artistic Nobody, March 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 28

Lots of Helpers, March 29

Walking Fruitfully, March 29

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 30

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 1

Simple Harvest Reads, April 2

For Him and My Family, April 3

Blossoms and Blessings, April 4 (Author Interview)

The Life We Build, April 4

Guild Master, April 5

Vicky Sluiter, April 6 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a signed hardcover copy of The Smell of Spring and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/25253/the-smell-of-spring-celebration-tour-giveaway

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Four Parties and a Funeral (A Catering Hall Mystery) by Maria DiRico

 

Four Parties and a Funeral (A Catering Hall Mystery)
by Maria DiRico

About Four Parties and a Funeral

Four Parties and a Funeral (A Catering Hall Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – New York
Kensington Cozies (March 28, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496739701
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496739704
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6DBV3WV

In this fresh and witty cozy mystery series set amid an extended Italian-American family in Astoria, Queens, catering hall owner and amateur sleuth Mia Carina must solve a murder on the set of a reality show.

 

The June events schedule at Belle View is busting out all over—proms, graduations, and of course, weddings. There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard. But soon, Mia’s fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed . . .

 

Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia’s friends insist on getting in on the action. The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife—who’s also very minor British royalty—have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen “talent.” Even so, it’s a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show . . .

 

Murder might boost the ratings. But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime . . .

Italian recipes included!

About Maria DiRico

Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award-winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is first-generation Italian-American on her mother’s side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father’s side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother’s family in Queens and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She’s a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.

Author Links – Website – Chicks on the Case – Facebook –  Twitter –

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound – Kensington – 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

March 30 – I’m Into Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

March 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

April 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

April 1 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

April 2 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – FUONLYNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

April 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 6 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 6 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

April 8 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

April 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

April 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

 

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

 

Celebrate Lit Presents: The Happy Rainbow Author: Lillian Jane McAdoo

 

About the Book

Book: The Happy Rainbow

Author: Lillian Jane McAdoo

Illustrator: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Picture Book – Pre-school to Third grade

Release date: December 8, 2022

A precious promise from God is fading fast when a cloud meanders between the rainbow and the sun, shadowing it. The forest animals must act fast to save the beautiful happy rainbow.

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

 

About the Author

Lillian Jane McAdoo, about to celebrate her seventh birthday, wrote this story while in Kindergarten at the Primrose School of Highland Village, Texas, and she’s now a first grader at Hilltop Elementary School in Argyle. Besides telling stories, she enjoys t-ball, ballet, and roller skating. An only child, Lillian knows how special she is to all, and THE HAPPY RAINBOW is her debut book!

Singing and playing with cousins and friends are some of her favorite things to do. She lives with Daddy in Carrollton, Texas—he’s a great DFW Metroplex real estate agent—and her mother at her Nanny and Pops in Argyle. Lillian loves visiting Grami and O’Pa’s home, The Peaceable, out in the country where she plays with all the dogs, rides four-wheelers, and collects the hens’ eggs for her paternal grandmother!

 

About the Illustrator

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over sixty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. She’s always enjoyed drawing and graphic arts! Sharing four children and twenty-five grandsugars (six are greats), Caryl and Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-four years, live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

 

More from Caryl

Oh, what a joy family is! I’m so glad the Father thought of the generations! It was my blessing to help my grandsugardoll Lillian Jane McAdoo write her debut story THE HAPPY RAINBOW. I asked her questions and she wrote her story in a purple composition book with a Crayola when she visited The Peaceable this summer. Lillian is six years old!

I asked, “What’s something you love?”

“Rainbows!”

“I love rainbows, too. So how is this rainbow?”

“Happy!” she says.

“All right then! Do you want to call your book THE HAPPY RAINBOW?”

“Yes!”

“So, you might start your story by introducing the rainbow. Then where is your rainbow going to be? What’s beneath her?”
“She’s in the sky and there’s a forest under her like your house, Grami!”

And so it went. At first, she wanted to be through before it even got to the middle, so I explained every good story had a beginning, a middle, and an end. I told her how everything had a beginning, a middle, and an end—except for God. A day has a beginning, morning, breakfast—a middle, noon, lunchtime—and an end, evening, supper.

A house has a beginning, middle, and end when it is built, lived-in, then is torn down. Trees, animals, fish, bugs, flowers, vegetables . . . everything—except God—so that they were very important! Those beginnings,wrote a blog post  middles, and ends! But we could do something else if she needed time to think about her story.

“That’s what authors do,” I told Lillian. “You don’t have to write your whole book in a day.” That made her happy.

We had several discussions while we were away from the actual writing. We researched rainbows on Google and learned so many interesting things about them.

I told her how in my stories, Grami liked to have something bad happen—a crisis—that the main character has to overcome. “Can you think of something that might happen to the rainbow?”

Lillian came up with the rainbow fading, going away, but she wanted to stay in the sky. So, I asked, “What do you suppose could make it fade?”
“The sun not shining.”
“Can you think of something that keeps the sun from shining down on you?”

“A cloud.”

“Sure! So, what if a cloud got between the sun and the rainbow? Could it shade the rainbow and make it fade?”

And so it went, the questions based on her answers. And over her visit, the story came out, all handwritten—she asked how to spell many words—in the composition book with her crayon.

 

She was so proud, but not as proud as Grami was of her! She told me more than once how she was the author and her name went on the cover! Politely, of course, but she sure had me grinning.

 

After she left, I started the illustrations, all done on the computer with free images at PicMonkey. I would send each to her and get her approval.

A couple of months back, I had the honor of leading my sugardoll to invite Jesus into her heart. As the story came forth, I’d share ways that her story honored Him.

Like the rainbow didn’t get angry with the cloud, but politely asked it to move, or the sweet little cloud, sad about the dilemma he caused, wanted to oblige the rainbow, but couldn’t without the wind (help)!

How the animals joined together to pray for the rainbow like we can join together and pray for our friends when they are in trouble. Of course, about how the rainbow shows bright and proud again at the end, proclaiming God’s promise to all men!

It thrilled me to be a part of Lillian’s first picture book! The whole process proved a very rewarding experience. Perhaps she’ll keep writing!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 16

Vicky Sluiter, March 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 18

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 19

Cover Lover Book Review, March 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 22

Texas Book-aholic, March 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 25

For Him and My Family, March 26

Mary Hake, March 26

Pause for Tales, March 27

Artistic Nobody, March 28

Simple Harvest Reads, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Lillian and Caryl are giving away the prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/24dbd/the-happy-rainbow-celebration-tour-giveaway

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters

 

Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
by Mary Winters

About Murder in Postscript

Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Victorian London, 1860
Berkley (March 28, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593548760
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593548769
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B5D5HW3K

When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate in this first book in a charming new historical mystery series.

 

Amelia Amesbury—widow, mother, and countess—has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony. But when a lady’s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered—and then ends up a victim herself—Amelia is determined to solve the case.

 

With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London’s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation—and her life—on the line.

About Mary Winters

© Julie Prairie Photography 2016

Mary Winters is the author of Murder in Postscript, the debut novel in A Lady of Letters Mystery series. A longtime reader of historical fiction and an author of two other mystery series, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Find out more about Mary and her writing at marywintersauthor.com.

Author Links

Website http://www.Marywintersauthor.com
Blog http://www.Marywintersauthor.com/blog
Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/marywintersauthor
Instagram http://www.Instagram.com/marywintersauthor
GoodReads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61391814-murder-in-postscript

Purchase Links

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop
IndieBound
Audible

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

March 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 30 – Elza Reads – REVIEW

March 30 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

March 31 – Diane’s Book Journal – REVIEW

April 1 – Just Another Teen Reading Books – REVIEW

April 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

April 2 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Lisa Ks Book Review – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

April 4 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

April 5 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

April 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

April 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

April 6 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 8 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

April 8 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

April 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 –The Mystery of Writing – REVIEW

April 10 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

A Brighter Dawn by Leslie Gould

 

vy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents' Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy's way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters' needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi's strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt's story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents' deaths weren't, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare's time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

Amazon

 

About The Author

 Leslie Gould is the best-selling and award-winning author of over forty novels. She loves research, traveling, and church history. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon and have four grown children and one grandchild. http://www.lesliegould.com/ 

 

My Review

This is one of the best books I've read, it is a dual time, which brings this read alive and answers a lot of questions.

This a story of Anabaptist and their struggles and persecution through the ages, from their time under communism to the evil that spread through Europe during the 1930's and 1940's.

Yes, we begin in Oregon with a Mennonite family, and are there when tragedy happens, and travel with part of the family while they go to visit their Old Order Amish family in Lancaster PA.

From coast to coast in the US, but then we are off to Germany and with friends and family there. Questions are answered about why sides were taken during WWII, and I was surprised. I loved the stories that were told by the elderly Aunt, and see if you can guess the answers prior to her telling.

Be sure to read the author's notes, they are eye opening and show what is going on to this day.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Her Amish Country Valentine by Patricia Johns

 Tired of being seen as a lonely workaholic, advertising exec Jill Wickey promises to bring her “casual boyfriend” to her sister’s Valentine’s wedding. Too bad he doesn’t exist! Then Thom Miller, a carpenter working at her aunt’s Amish B&B, offers to be Jill’s fake boyfriend—if they turn the lie into truth. But dating Thom in idyllic Amish country makes Jill wish their temporary arrangement could last.

Amazon

 

About The Author

Publishers Weekly bestselling author Patricia Johns writes sweet romance for Harlequin Inc. and Kensington Books.

She writes from Alberta, Canada, where she lives with her husband and son.

Website 

 

My Review

 

This is a story about a young woman in a fast paced job environment who goes to her sister's wedding being held in Amish country. She is now relaxing in a slow paced world, taken a step back, but she loves being in the rat race! She is staying at her Great Aunt's B&B, and Jill meets the handyman, one who is remodeling her Aunt's kitchen.
He is coming off a big breakup and she sure doesn't want to end up in the boonies! We are there for a journey that is either going to end up in love, or a couple of stubborn broken hearts that won't give an inch!
There are several other Amish characters here that you are going to love, and I wanted to be involved in their lives, at least know how everything turns out.
Come and meet Eyeore!
I received this book through NetGalley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.  

Once Upon a Buggy by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home.

The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl’s own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her.

After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his love—but it seems she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating once again. . . . But in Apple Creek, it’s easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.

Amazon

 

About The Author

 

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray, or on Twitter @ShelleySGray.

 

My Review

 A story that will pull on your heart, young teenage love, fear, and a barn fire. This is the beginning, and the end, but not with teenagers.

This is a story of forgiveness, of others and yourself, and also living your faith, and some really need lessons here.

There are a lot of family dynamics, and one family ends up with not one but two they need to deal with! Rather like God telling them to forgive!

Soon you'll be absorbed in Amish daily life, and here you will need to know about alpaca's and there stubborn personalities, and their cute names! There is also healing, and storms! You will be page turning for answers.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

One More Time for Joy (Paradise Valley, #3) by Amy Lillard

 

Joy Lehman has pressed on faithfully since losing her husband, raising their children and running a thriving bakery alone. Even caring for her oldest son, Johnny—seriously injured after a fall—has not shaken her fierce independence. Johnny will walk again, she’s sure. Until then, a meeting of the Widows’ Club at her home makes it clear that Joy must consider some costly renovations. Her brother-in-law, Uriah, is happy to provide the lumber and the labor—if Joy will accept his help.
 
Uriah understands family challenges—he’s a widower himself, and father to four daughters. Yet he can see that Joy’s struggle lies deeper than house repairs, in learning to accept an altered future for her son. As Uriah’s daughters begin helping in the bakery, and Joy and Uriah’s bond grows deeper, a new possibility glows bright—the unexpected happiness that lies in embracing one strong, united family, filled with support and love.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

Amy loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family...and maybe homemade tacos...and nail polish. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list.

Born and bred in Mississippi, Amy is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, two spoiled cats, and one very lazy beagle. Oh, and don't forget the stray kitty that has taken up residence on her front porch. ^..^

When she's not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she's chauffeuring her prodigy to guitar lessons, orchestra concerts and baseball practice. She has a variety of hobbies, but her favorite is whatever gets her out of housework.

Amy also writes contemporary romances under the pen name Amie Louellen.

An award winning author, Amy is a member of RWA and ACFW. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. For links to the various sites, check her website: www.amylillardbooks.com.

 

My Review

Oh how I loved this read! We are back in Paradise Valley, and yes, this can be read alone, there are some mentions of past books!

This is Joy and Uriah Lehman's story, they are related to one another by Joy's deceased husband, Uriah's brother. Joy is now supporting her family by running a successful bakery, but she sure has a lot of life's challenges.

This is a story of families, both dealing with the loss of a mother/father, and the blooming relationship of the survivors, but, there are those who are against this and we journey to see if there can be a uniting of these families.

Joy is such a strong parent, she found a way to survive and she is still hoping her son will overcome what the Doctors say is not possible. This is a hard story to leave, I wanted to continue in the lives of these people I had come to care about.

I received this book through the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.